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Is it just me or do you guys also have a problem of trying to check your oil level using the dipstick?

It is just that even if I let the car sit totally overnight, it still doesn't give me a clear reading on the first try. Basiclly if I took the dipstick reading truthfully, I have an entire crankcase full of oil and my engine should have died a loooong time ago.

...this drove me crazy for a year and a half. We have the same car, by the way. After the first oil change, there always appeared to be too much oil in the motor. Sparing you the complete-with-moaning saga...

Try this and see what you think:

If you think where you park your car is level, check the oil dead cold (overnight).
Put the car in the same spot but facing the opposite direction and check the oil dead cold (overnight).

And/or:

Find another spot that looks to be level. Check the oil with the engine warm. Put the car in the same spot but facing the opposite direction and check the oil.

I bet the levels change on the dipstick when the car is facing opposite directions on what appear to be level surfaces.

Remove a small amount of oil and see how much difference shows on the dipstick.

See if you think a small amount of oil and/or levelness show a lot of oil movement on the dipstick.

I found that the level was difficult to determine when it was toward the twist, but easier to read when closer to the notch and "full" hole.

...uh, I'm assuming to begin with that the guys aren't putting in one or two quarts more than the manual calls for.

Turning the dipstick in the tube to get a reading you like may not be the way to go. Check up on it.

Whenever I check the oil level, the oil seems to smear up the edges of the dipstick, and it makes sort of a U shaped edge of oil on the dipstick... I take the oil level to be where the bottom of the U is.

Why did they have to make the dipstick dark colored? The dipstick on my old POS Saturn was silver colored, and it was *much* easier to read the oil level when the contrast was high like that. I'm seriously thinking of painting my dipstick bottom just so I can get better contrast... anyone have any suggestions on how to do that so I won't get flecks or chips of paint loosening off of the dipstick?

I usually take the oil dipstick out, wipe it off, and insert it backwards to read my oil. Also, I find it really hard to check it after the oil is warm, it wants to smear. I usually check my oil in the morning after all the oil has drained back into the drain pan overnight. Also, after I change my oil, you might as well forget checking the oil level. Its so clean, and smears, and you have to start your car to let the oil run into the filter, its just a pain. I just add the recommended amount and check it the next morning.

1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly inserted until it stops with the
graphic symbol on its top appearing as shown in the illustration.
4. Pull out the dipstick again and check the oil level on it. If it is below
the lower level, add oil to bring the level up to the upper level.
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recommended grade and viscosity.
If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine, wait a few minutes
for the oil to drain back into the oil pan before checking the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the engine oil level
reading may be in a range between the upper level and the notch
mark. This is caused by thermal expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any additional oil
above the upper level when the engine is cold.